The Beginning of an Adventure
by tulsa360
Summary: AU When Nico stumbles upon the wizard business center Diagon alley on a tip. He sees magic as just one more way to protect himself after the Giant war, as he left Camp-Halfblood.


**A/N Disclaimer : I don't own this stuff, I'm just playing with uncle Ricks characters. I don't know about you but when I read a fanfic and it says; "well um this is my first story on here so don't like, be harsh or anything, just um be nice." That annoys the hell out of me so I want to preface my story by saying the opposite. If you flame me, I don't care, just say what you didn't like and what you want me to change. How is is that I can make a difference from what you didn't like if I don't know what that was? Also as this is a fanfiction I'm going to alter one major thing from the books: time in Tartarus is different to Earth time (One hour of Earth time is a day in Tartarus) also this was written before I had read BOO so a few things I found out then do not apply **

Nico wasn't quite certain what it was that he loved the most about shadow travel. It might have been the feel of exhilaration of going so fast it felt like his face was melting off. Maybe that it was that in a literal blink of an eye he could cross the world. Now though, it was probably the safety of it, no one could hurt him while he was traveling through darkness itself.

After Tartarus he had changed. He hadn't been able to bring himself to tell anyone what happened in the Dark Pit. Their wasn't anyone he could tell about his cowardice. He had screamed, it had only taken two weeks for them to get him to say everything he knew. He had screamed until his throat was bloody, but when he was brought out of the pit all the physical ailments healed. After that he manged to get everyone to believe he was fine. Well, there was the horrifying moment with Jason but, Nico tried to forget about that. Once the war with Gaea was over Nico ran, it was the only thing he knew how to do.

During the party after the reward ceremony on mount Olympus he quietly slipped away from everyone and shadow traveled to camp. He left a note on his bed saying how he never felt comfortable there, or at Camp Jupiter and so he would wander the world. No one should expect to see him again. Then he packed clothes, his sword, nectar and ambrosia. Then he just started walking

So far he had been in all fifty states, twelve countries and four god's realms. After being told about Camp Jupiter Nico had suspicions that other pantheons existed and over the course of the next few years he had it confirmed more than once. So far he now knew about six different groups of gods and too many monsters to count. In this case however he found out about a part of the Greek/Roman world.

He had recently gotten to London, with all of its noise and smoke. It reminded Nico of New York City, except it was smaller. It also didn't seem to have a feeling of everyone rushing around, surrounding it. As always in London was cloudy, almost mirroring the concrete under his feet. Nico's last informant hinted that Nico would find something new somewhere called the Leaky Cauldron, a bar in London. Keeping his eyes peeled and a hand on his wickedly sharp Stygian iron blade. By now he new that monsters could come from anywhere, look like anything, and popped out when you least expect it.

_I wonder if this will have as many monsters in this trap as last time. _Nico had adopted the philosophy "expect the worst and you can only be pleasantly surprised" a few years back. As he started scanning the buildings he started going over some of the items he had in his back pack to fight all the different baddies he had encountered. It was one of the calming mechanisms he had developed. _I'm going to need a new aviator jacket soon this ones getting too small, and probably a hair cut. _He thought to himself sheepishly. It was last year when he got his jacket, however because of Egyptian magic he had learned, he repaired it thousands of times. Now however it was getting too short.

If Nico hadn't been training for years he might have missed it. No one near by seemed to notice it either. The Leaky Cauldron was a grimy dark place that all the other stores nearby seemed to ignore as if they were embarrassed of it. Sliding through the pedestrians like a ghost he quietly hunched into the bar.

Soon after walking into the establishment Nico felt a mild wave of magic. Not the strength that would indicate that someone was currently casting anything but, enough that he knew that this wasn't a normal bar. Keeping a discrete hand on his weapon he calmly followed the trail of magic. Getting to the back he found a door leading to a dead end. Nico wasn't fooled he knew that this was just a form of security. If anyone was watching they would have seen him literally melt into the shadows then slither through the bricks.

On the other side he found a bustling town of cloaked people, presumably sorcerers. Now it was obvious that he had only found the tip of the iceberg. Sticking to the shadows he observed the people mulling around. He quickly realized that they used a different currency. Soon after, he had "procured" some from less than legitimate means. One a large gold coin, another mid sized silver one, the last a smallish copper coin.

Looking around and accepting that he would have to get a ridicules robe to fit in. He released he control on the shadows surrounding him and nonchalantly walked to Madam Malkin's Robes for all Occasions. Luckily only one person was in at the moment so Nico sat on the chairs and waited. Less than five minutes later the seamstress and her current customer walked into the room.

"Hello I'm Madam Malkin, what's your name?" She asked.

"Nico, Nico di Angelo." He responded

"What kind of robe do you like?" She asked.

"Well umm I don't usually do this." Nico said pretending to be nervous.

"Oh well, what is the occasion?" She responded as she started measuring.

"I'm just transfer'n to a new school."He said

"To where?" Malkin asked

"Australia." He said quickly. Not having to pretend his distaste with having someone touching his neck, it reminded him of how he got _that_ scar.

"Oh leaving Hogwarts?" She queried.

"Uh, yeah. Do you need to measure there?" He muttered uncomfortably.

"If you want it to fit then yes" She replied. "Now I have the measurements I need, while I make your cloak you can look through Diagon ally."

"How much will is be?" He wondered

"Oh well, five sickles, two Knuts." She answered.

He dug around his pocket and held out the requested amount.

"Thank you" He yelled as he walked out the door.

Thankful he didn't have to pretend to be an idiot any more he started to wander around the alley. Something caught his eye as he walked by. _Hmm Ollivander's wand shop, I wonder how there's are different than the Hecate's kids. _His eyes picked up on a few things as he went in. One thousands of small rectangular boxes were everywhere, in cubies,on chairs, a few were on a lamp. Another is that the little bit of light that managed to filtered in through the windows reflected an incredible amount of dust. The other is that the place had a feeling of unnaturalness to it. The last was the place was completely deserted. At least until an odd man shuffled into the front of the shop.

His piercing gray eyes met Nico's. "Well, well what is your name young boy?"

Forcing himself to look away, even though every instinct burned to stare him down.

"Nico, can I get a wand or are you busy?"

"No, no, no Nico you seem like an interesting case. Here wave this, twelve inches, Dogwood with unicorn hair." He said handing it to Nico.

Thinking the whole thing juvenile Nico gave it a wave. At that moment a row of boxes caught fire. Ollivander snatched the wand from his hand and muttered " no, no, no, that's not it. Try this one Blue spruce, eight inches, dragon heart string."

Apparently it wasn't meant to explode the lamp and surrounding wands. Wincing as he handed the wand back. "I don't know if we should continue, I was only given two galleons and three sickles for this" Nico coughed.

"Nonsense you only pay for the one you walk out with and I can't pass up on a challenge like this." Digging through the middle of the mess he held up a wand. "Here Acacia tree, nine and three quarter inches, unicorn hair."

That one caused a hail storm.

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It had to have been two hours and while Nico got impatient this mad man only seemed to get happier. The most odd thing was that he never asked anything about Nico after learning his name and Nico knew with all of his scars especially, with the one on his face how hard that could be. Breaking him out of his momentary doze the cooky wand maker held out one of his products with a manic smile and a customary description. " Aspen with Stymphalian wing core, ten inches."

Giving it a flick and for the first time nothing happened. " Hmm maybe... No in my shop? Well perhaps?" Ollivander muttered to himself walking to the very back of the shop. At this Nico couldn't help but be uneasy, this was the first time since walking into the store that the man had been serious.

Walking back to the front of the store he held a battered box reverently and spoke in a hushed tone "This is the oldest wand that I still haven't sold. You see this is Cypress, Dementor bone and eleven inches. Only those who have felt great sacrifice can wield cypress. This magic core is tied deeply with the Dark Arts and death. You could cause great death and pain with this. However it also is very strong in the counter of the Dark Arts. You must be very vigilant with your power lest it control you. I can tell you will do great things either way."

Nico could already feel the anticipation welling up in him. As he reached out for it he said " I have spent a great deal of time training to stop that very thing."

The very moment he felt the Cypress a sense of companionship and camaraderie filled him. Somehow he knew that this piece of tree understood him and didn't care about his mistakes. That it had seen all he had given and sacrificed for others and sympathized with his pain. Nico realized that he had been standing still for a few minuets and so asked "How much?"

"You may have it for free. It is enough having a son of Pluto in my shop."

"Hades." Nico blurted out.

"Hmmmm."

At that Nico left to pick up his robes. On his way back to the seamstress still overwhelmed by his experience he accidentally bumped into one of the wizards.

"Get out of my way mudblood!. The sleek, blond haired wizard shouted. "

Flinching away Nico put his left hand on his new wand and his right hand on his sword. Now properly alert he gave the wizard a quick once over. He didn't seem to have any other weapons other than his wand, which Nico thought was idiotic. He also seemed to have been used to a life of money, at least based on the quality his robes, very pale skin, his well manicured nails and clearly bleached hair. Less than a second after the brit insulted him Nico knew what he should do.

While brushing past the spoiled teen Nico muttered a spell an ancient Inuit shaman had taught him. After discreetly walking away Nico turned around the corner and cloaked himself in the swirling cold that is the Darkness. At hearing the idiot starting to scream Nico picked him out of the now disbelieving crowd. A ferret had escaped from one of the pet shops and had attacked his face, biting and scratching with its claws and teeth.

With everyone rushing away from the insane rodent Nico slipped into the mob then slid into the robe shop. Not long after Madam Malkin strode into the front of the store with Nico's new robe.

"Ahh, Angelo here we are this is your new robe all the standard spells woven in." Madam Malkin said.

Masking his slight alarm Nico asked "What spells are those?"

After hearing anti stain spell enthusiastic repeated for the third time Nico put on the nervous teen act on again and stuttered out something about "mom" and "shopping" and walked out.

Squashing a sense of sadistic pleasure at the screams of the mammal clad wizard that he past Nico glided back to the brick wall he started at. Looking around he made sure no one would notice his actions he dematerialized then rematerialized on the other side. By the time he made it back out to the crisp English air his mind was whirring with questions about this new world. There were so many things that were different then even any of the others that he had found.

Slithering into the first alleyway that he past outside of that odd magic valley, Nico disappeared leaving no evidence he was ever there.

**I apologize o all of the people who have read the previous version of this story, as my computer no longer works I had to upload this at Collage and as such was rather difficult and convalulted. While I don't now if any of you want to read any more of my work I plan on writing a series of one shots of Nico's travels up to the point shown in this story. However it I will be named something else.**


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